Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: redstarwindowcleaners on May 03, 2014, 08:26:37 am

Title: battery questions
Post by: redstarwindowcleaners on May 03, 2014, 08:26:37 am
Had a leisure battery running my set up but I think it may be on its last
Legs the charge doesn't seem to be lasting as long as it once did
I'm going to get a split relay installed and want to get a new battery at the same time
Will a standard car battery do the trick or go for another leisure battery again
will a heavy duty diesel jobbie for a van be just as good as the price is better
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: PoleKing on May 03, 2014, 08:49:15 pm
Had a leisure battery running my set up but I think it may be on its last
Legs the charge doesn't seem to be lasting as long as it once did
I'm going to get a split relay installed and want to get a new battery at the same time
Will a standard car battery do the trick or go for another leisure battery again
will a heavy duty diesel jobbie for a van be just as good as the price is better


Get down your local scrappie.
Get the biggest amp hour battery they've got.
Cost you a tenner.
I've had leisure batteries for a decade. Not one has lasted longer than 2 years.
Paid Upto £150 for one.
Always trickle charged.
Had one from the scrappie for the last 6 months or so. Not had to take it out for a bench charge yet.
Even if it goes tomorrow-6 months for a tenner is cheaper than leisure battery's.
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: redstarwindowcleaners on May 04, 2014, 10:09:03 am
Cheers ill give it  a go
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: SB Cleaning on May 04, 2014, 12:09:58 pm
Had a leisure battery running my set up but I think it may be on its last
Legs the charge doesn't seem to be lasting as long as it once did
I'm going to get a split relay installed and want to get a new battery at the same time
Will a standard car battery do the trick or go for another leisure battery again
will a heavy duty diesel jobbie for a van be just as good as the price is better


Get down your local scrappie.
Get the biggest amp hour battery they've got.
+1
Cost you a tenner.
I've had leisure batteries for a decade. Not one has lasted longer than 2 years.
Paid Upto £150 for one.
Always trickle charged.
Had one from the scrappie for the last 6 months or so. Not had to take it out for a bench charge yet.
Even if it goes tomorrow-6 months for a tenner is cheaper than leisure battery's.
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: bobplum on May 04, 2014, 12:40:27 pm
Had a leisure battery running my set up but I think it may be on its last
Legs the charge doesn't seem to be lasting as long as it once did
I'm going to get a split relay installed and want to get a new battery at the same time
Will a standard car battery do the trick or go for another leisure battery again
will a heavy duty diesel jobbie for a van be just as good as the price is better


Get down your local scrappie.
Get the biggest amp hour battery they've got.
Cost you a tenner.
I've had leisure batteries for a decade. Not one has lasted longer than 2 years.
Paid Upto £150 for one.
Always trickle charged.
Had one from the scrappie for the last 6 months or so. Not had to take it out for a bench charge yet.
Even if it goes tomorrow-6 months for a tenner is cheaper than leisure battery's.


a TENNER your lucky they charge £25/30 here, thats why i bought a new one
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: bobplum on May 04, 2014, 12:41:39 pm
Had a leisure battery running my set up but I think it may be on its last
Legs the charge doesn't seem to be lasting as long as it once did
I'm going to get a split relay installed and want to get a new battery at the same time
Will a standard car battery do the trick or go for another leisure battery again
will a heavy duty diesel jobbie for a van be just as good as the price is better


if a one man system a car battery will be fine, two man setup either two car batteries or one big leisure battery, i have 2 car batteries works fine
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: SeanK on May 04, 2014, 12:43:32 pm
You can get a platinum 85amp leisure battery for £60+vat it will
easily last you two years or more even if you charge it every night.
That's less than a days pay or a fill of fuel.
Make sure you use a smart charger and check the water level every few months.
Top it up with pure if needs be.
A split charger is a good investment as it can top the battery up and give a bit more power over the working day
this can be helpful when the battery get slightly older and not as efficient.
Another benefit is if the battery goes dead halfway through a clean then you can run the engine and get enough
power to finish.
Even if the battery only lasted a year its not a big expense about £1.50 a week.
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: redstarwindowcleaners on May 04, 2014, 02:54:33 pm
Hi
who sells the leisure for 60 quid plus
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: SeanK on May 04, 2014, 04:41:14 pm
I buy mine from Sureclean in Omagh N. Ireland (they don't deliver batteries) but Alpha Batteries sell
them for £70 including vat and delivery.
Platinum 85 amp with 3 year warranty. Great battery.
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: andyM on May 04, 2014, 06:51:52 pm
Hi
who sells the leisure for 60 quid plus

Halfords are doing a 70 ah leisure battery for £59 at the moment:
 http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&productId=264259&catalogId=10151
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: andyM on May 04, 2014, 06:53:57 pm
The Platinum batteries are rubbish in my opinion.
I've had 2 and neither lasted more than 6 months charged regularly with a smart charger.
I've just bought a Halfords one to see if they are any better.
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: SeanK on May 04, 2014, 07:22:45 pm
My first platinum lasted just under 4 years the one I have now is just over a year
and going well.
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: PoleKing on May 04, 2014, 07:44:22 pm
The Platinum batteries are rubbish in my opinion.
I've had 2 and neither lasted more than 6 months charged regularly with a smart charger.
I've just bought a Halfords one to see if they are any better.

If you end up taking it back under warranty, don't tell them that you used it for WFP.
Anything other than engine use invalidates the warranty. Including use on electric fences. I found out, to my detriment, too late.
It's in their teeny tiny extra fine small print.
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: andyM on May 04, 2014, 07:51:47 pm
My first platinum lasted just under 4 years the one I have now is just over a year
and going well.


Is this the same as the one you are using Sean?
http://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/85-ah-platinum-leisure-battery-685l/?gclid=CIvx4_r3kr4CFfDLtAodKE4Atw
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: SeanK on May 04, 2014, 10:16:20 pm
My first platinum lasted just under 4 years the one I have now is just over a year
and going well.


Is this the same as the one you are using Sean?
http://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/85-ah-platinum-leisure-battery-685l/?gclid=CIvx4_r3kr4CFfDLtAodKE4Atw



Yes Andy that's the same one.
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: andyM on May 05, 2014, 07:57:20 am
The first Platinum battery I had started showing an error message on the smart charger after about 5 or 6 months. And the last one I had charged up ok to 13 volts but got to the point that it would only hold charge for half the day before the pump would struggle and the multimeter reading showed 10.8 volts. So I assume a faulty cell, cell fluid levels were ok and the green light on the battery was still showing the same as when new(ie. good condition).  ???
I assumed the first one was just a duff one and as I had 5 or 6 months from it I didn't ask for a swap under warranty and just bought another one. Wasn't impressed at all when the second one started playing up.
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: SeanK on May 05, 2014, 11:48:39 am
The first Platinum battery I had started showing an error message on the smart charger after about 5 or 6 months. And the last one I had charged up ok to 13 volts but got to the point that it would only hold charge for half the day before the pump would struggle and the multimeter reading showed 10.8 volts. So I assume a faulty cell, cell fluid levels were ok and the green light on the battery was still showing the same as when new(ie. good condition).  ???
I assumed the first one was just a duff one and as I had 5 or 6 months from it I didn't ask for a swap under warranty and just bought another one. Wasn't impressed at all when the second one started playing up.


Andy I would put your problem down to the seller it looks as if your buying batteries that have been sitting on the shelf too long.
If not you could be discharging them to a level that's causing damage.
When you next buy a battery, charge it with your smart charger and leave it to rest over night with nothing connected.
In the morning check the voltage and it should read 12.8 volts.
Anything less than this and its not working at 100% which you should expect from a new battery.
I know the guy that's supplies my batteries wouldn't stock them if he was getting complaints from his customers who
all use them for wfp cleaning.
That's the only reason I would recommend them.
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: redstarwindowcleaners on May 06, 2014, 07:21:25 am
Approx How many days does a car battery last for between charges
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: SeanK on May 06, 2014, 08:02:12 am
The question should by how many litres of water can you pump on a full charge.
My battery is just over a year old and I can get about 1200 litres or more without charging it.
I have a split charger but don't do a lot of miles so I don't know how much extra power that would add.
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: redstarwindowcleaners on May 06, 2014, 09:40:16 am
About every 2 /  3 day in that case
Title: Re: battery questions
Post by: SeanK on May 06, 2014, 10:15:27 am
To be honest I would still top the battery up at the end of every working day.
Its best not to let a battery get fully discharged, its recommended that it never goes below 30%.